


The Very Next Day

by vexutopia



Series: Gideon’s Nepotism [3]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Abuse, Abusive Relationships, Angst, Comfort, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Hotch/Reid - Freeform, Hurt Spencer Reid, M/M, Original Character(s), Protective Aaron Hotchner, Sean Hotchner - Freeform, Spencer Reid - Freeform, Spencer Reid Needs a Hug, Spencer Reid Whump, mlm, wlw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:28:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28099950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vexutopia/pseuds/vexutopia
Relationships: Aaron Hotchner/Spencer Reid, Sean Hotchner/Spencer Reid, Spencer Reid/OMC
Series: Gideon’s Nepotism [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2047139
Comments: 9
Kudos: 47





	1. Delicacies

Jen had never expected herself to be hurrying down the hall of a hospital, walking past multiple men and women in suits to visit her boyfriend, but when she got the call, she was out of the office and ripping across town in seconds. She was a beautiful woman, she had a head full of red hair and a face dotted with brown freckles, and her brows were furrowed together as she entered Sean’s room.

”Who are you?” She asked the man there.

”Who are you?” He redirected.

”I’m Sean’s girlfriend,” She gestured herself, “How is he? And who are you?”

”Oh. I-I’m a friend. I was with him when he was attacked,” he sighed, “I’m Spencer.”

”Spencer? Are you hurt too?”

”Couple stab wounds, but I’ve had worse.”

Jen came to his bedside after eyeing the man wearily. She watched him slide his hand discreetly away from Sean’s. She touched his arm, and he did not react. Jen wiped away her tears and leaned down to kiss his face, leaving her lipstick behind. She saw the ring. She saw Spencer’s ring. Her heart sunk deep, and she plopped down, one hand covering her mouth.

”Is that what’s going on? He’s married.”

Spencer nodded.

“How long?”

”A year. Today makes a year.”

”God. What a way to spend an anniversary.”

”How long have you two been together?”

“Six years,” Jen sighed.

”Oh.”

”Yeah.”

Spencer pulled at the ears of the teddy bear in his hands. He felt tears building in his eyes. They weren’t tears of sadness, rather tears of anguish and frustration. After all he’d done, after all he’d gone through for Sean, he’d found out on their anniversary, of all days, that he has a girlfriend of so many years. What was his endgame? What was _their_ endgame? How long did Sean intend to keep up this charade?

”Are you alright?” Jen asked.

”No, no I don’t think so,” Spencer sighed, “But I can only imagine how you feel. Six years?”

”This ain’t this first time he cheated. Won’t be the last,” Jen shrugged, “I know he’s struggling with addiction. He uses people to get what he wants.”

”I thought he loved me.”

”Yeah. There’s other people. Sasha, Marcus, Louie, Donna— they all thought Sean loved them,” Jen wiped away her lipstick from Sean’s face, “But he’s a damn good liar.”

”My job was to analyze people. Why couldn’t I see through it?”

”You loved him,” Jen concluded, “You loved him enough to be blinded by everything he did. He hit you?”

Spencer looked away.

”More than once, huh?” Jen shook her head, “Damn shame. He’s better off in a hospital, where he can get better. Everyone’s got this hero complex, thinking they can save him. Thinking their the only ones in the world who understand. You sleep with him?”

”No. He was never ready.”

”It’s not that he’s not ready,” Jen took Sean’s hand, “He’s just not gay. Say, did you have a blue armchair?”

”Y-Yeah.”

”Well. I’ll get it back to you. I should have known better when Sean showed up to my house with that. He always comes back with stuff stolen from people.” Jen played with her necklace, “You're a real clean guy. It was so fresh-looking I thought it was new. But it smelled so much like coffee I thought maybe he stole it from a Starbucks.”

”Oh.”

”I’m sorry. I know this is a lot.”

Jen and Spencer both looked towards the door as the doctor came in. He eyed Spencer, sending him a disappointed look as he weakly stood to his feet. He straightened his glasses before he looked down at the chart.

”Doctor Reid, you really should be in bed.”

”Doctor?” Jen repeated, “He struck gold. Um, how’s Sean?”

The medical profession looked to Jen and tried to hide him grimace, “Not doing to well. After some tests, we’ve concluded that Sean is in a coma. H-He’s not likely to wake up.”

”He’s brain dead?” Spencer cried.

”I’m very sorry,” the doctor touched his heart, “This is around the time you may want to begin thinking about the next step. There’s a chance he’ll wake up, but he’d never be the same.”

”I say we pull it,” Jen shrugged, “End his suffering.”

”How could you say that?” Spencer asked, before he turned to the doctor, “If there’s a chance, no one’s pulling any plugs. Sean is alive, and it’s be cruel to end his life.”

”Doctor Reid, he’s completely unresponsive,” the doctor’s voice was soft, “The chance of him waking is very little. And if he does, he’ll need a caretaker for the rest of his life.”

”I don’t care,” Spencer teared up, “I’ll do anything for him.”

”You just found out he doesn’t even love you,” Jen didn’t mean to be cruel, it was just the truth.

“I don’t care,” Spencer sat down and brushed Sean’s hair from his forehead, “I love him. And that’s enough.”


	2. The People Are Talking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leaving.

Hotch had recommended more than once that Reid and Sean come to live with him and Jack, but Reid was having none of that. Sean woke up two months later. He defied the odds, and in a little under six months he was walking with forearm crutches and swallowing small foods. Reid was there the whole time, and he had yet to tell Sean he knew about Jen. He didn’t even tell Hotch or Morgan about her. To them, she was Sean’s friend who sent small cakes sometimes. Garcia had been the one to say that she felt Jen liked Sean a little more than she was letting on. Reid called her that night and asked her to tone it down. Jen did. She was strange, Reid decided, she had yet to see her boyfriend since he woke up and seemed to want nothing to do with him, but at the same time, she seemed to care too much. Reid thought it was weird that she didn’t care that he was Sean’s husband, but then again, he didn’t care that Jen and Sean had been together for six years.

“Spence?” Sean didn’t sound like himself, “Can I get, uh, water?”

Reid stood and moved across the living room. He’d refurbished the entire home. Sean had to quit his job, and Reid understood, but now he taught classes remotely and he was paying for everything. Reid got Sean his water and handed it to him before he sat down on the coffee table in front of him. Sean fumbled with the cap, and Reid took it and unscrewed it before passing it back to him. Sean was strict about doing this part himself. Reid watched carefully as he drank the water, making sure he didn’t choke. When Sean handed him the bottle, Reid gripped it in his hands before he set it down. Sean knew this was hard on his husband. He reached out and grabbed Reid’s hand. It was the first time he initiated the contact in what felt like forever.

“Are you—” A pause, “Alright?”

Spencer nodded simply, and pulled away. Soon enough Sean was walking without his crutches, albeit there was a slight limp and lean, and his speech was understandable, though not at the level his doctor expected. Spencer attended every appointment. He’d sit in the hall with Sean’s bag on his lap, and those dead eyes of his would stare at the floor. When Sean left, Spencer was angry. And all he got was a damn letter. Jen finally felt ready to take care of him, and in the morning Sean was gone, along with the television and all their silverware. Spencer wasn’t angry. He called Hotch and told him Sean was gone, but there was no need to go running after him this time. Hotch came over anyway. Spencer hadn’t time to care for himself since Sean came home. He always came second, no matter what, and Spencer knew Hotch saw that as soon as he looked at him.

“Spencer. It feels like it’s been forever.”

“How many men do you think will explain their absence with a letter?” Spencer waved the envelope, “How’s your penmanship, Aaron?”

“I’d never abandon you, Spencer,” Hotch closed the door behind him as Spencer walked into the home.

He and Spencer sat on the couch. After a moment, Spencer released a thick breath, and began to cry. Hotch shifted closer to him, and slowly lay his hand over Spencer’s. The younger man leaned against his shoulder, thin fingers squeezing at the fabric of Hotch’s shirt. Spencer cried for God knows how long, and Hotch let him. Occasionally he would run fingers through his hair or rub his back, but otherwise he remained quiet and let Spencer get it all out. When Spencer pulled back, Hotch looked at his sunken eyes, and he felt terrible. Spencer had handled far too much on his own.

“Spencer,” Hotch began, “You can come to me anytime you feel like crying. You can talk to me about anything, you know that, right?”

Spencer nodded as he wiped his eye, “Can I come back to work? I-I love teaching, but I miss the BAU.”

Hotch cupped his face, “We left a spot open just for you. Nobody even touched your desk. It’ll be great to have you back, Spencer.”

“I have to tell you something.”

“Anything.”

“Sean’s ex-girlfriend, Jen, she’s not really his ex at all. She helped him leave. He took the TV and silverware.”

“Oh, Spencer,” Hotch whispered.

Spencer held his hand up, “I’m not upset about that. I knew it was coming.”

“And you still took care of him?’

“He’d be dead right now if I didn’t,” Spencer sighed, “Jen wasn’t capable of taking care of him. Her career is too important to her. S-She’d let him die, if push came to shove.”

“You really think so?”

“Yes.”

“Are you worried about him?”

“No,” Spencer lied, “I can’t save him. He’s out there making his own decisions. He’s hurt me too many times, Aaron. I’ll send you Jen’s number and address if you’re concerned.”

“How was he?”

“Fine, when he left. Walking. Talking. Eating on his own,” Spencer looked at him, “You should call.”

“He doesn’t want to hear from me.”

“You’re not stupid, Aaron.” Spencer pointed out, “You know that isn’t true.”

“Spencer—”

“Call him. Please.”


	3. P.W.A.C

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Returning to the BAU.  
> Going to Boulder CIty.

Coming back to the BAU felt strange, especially after so much time. Hotch had been truthful about no one having touched his desk. Morgan was happy to see him. Reid nearly fell over when Morgan hugged him, but he was happy with the familiar touch. Morgan leaned back and held both his shoulders in a hard grip, and looked him over as if he had returned from the dead.

“Pretty boy, I missed you so much. I almost went crazy without your rambling.”

“You hate it when I ramble,” Reid argued.

“Exactly,” Morgan sighed, and hugged Reid again.

Next came JJ. She ran up to him as if it had been years. Prentiss greeted him with the same joy, and Garcia had been successful in knocking him over. The two of them laughed it out and collected themselves. Reid and Rossi shared a hug, and Reid almost pulled away, but Rossi pecked a kiss to either side of his face. Hotch settled on a handshake, much to everyone’s disdain, including Reid, who remembered just last week when Hotch comforted him as if he were the most important thing in the world. On Reid’s first day back, they had a case. Reid had been cleared for air travel, so he was headed to Boulder City with the rest of the team to investigate the various people who had gone missing.

“Our first victim is Cody Matthews, a person who worked a job as a barista,” JJ read, “They worked there for four years after high school, but had plans to attend college in the fall. They were found choked to death, with their head shaved bald.”

“All five of our victims so far have been older people planning to attend college,” Prentiss said, “Four to five years outside of high school, small-paying jobs, shaved bald and choked to death.”

“Our unsub has grudges against these people. Many of them are open about being a part of the LGBTQ+ community,” Reid said, “That may be a factor. He could either be extremely religious or hiding his own sexuality.”

“It’s not uncommon for people to have hidden their sexuality as our unsub might have. “ Hotch added, “We may have to think of the unsub as a member of the community as well.”

The team shared a few nods.

“Reid, you and Morgan go to the coffee shop and find out what you can about Cody. Talk to his coworkers, find out about people he may have hung out around,” Hotch instructed, “Rossi and I will go to the crime scene. JJ and Prentiss, go to the college and talk to professors of the victims.”

When they landed, Reid walked to the car with Morgan. Hotch had not gone into detail about the reason for Reid’s return, but Morgan took note of the fact that he had not mentioned Sean in the time he had been back. Morgan figured Reid would want to tell everything. He had cared so much. He had been so proud of how far Sean had come, and now it was as if his lover had dropped off the face of the Earth. Morgan did not want to mention it because he did not want to upset Reid if something had happened between them. On their way to the coffee shop, Reid spoke.

“My father used to take my mother and me to Lake Mead. Before he left. Before she got sick.”

“Really?” Morgan smiled, “I can’t imagine you at the beach.”

“I used to love the ocean. My mother taught me how to swim,” Reid sighed fondly, “I’d like to have children I can take to the beach.”

“You and Sean been looking to adopt?” Morgan asked, and immediately felt the tension.

“We’re getting a divorce, actually. He found someone who makes him happier than I can,” Reid whispered, “So I’m letting him go.”

“Are you alright?”

“I’m well enough to do my job, but I don’t want to talk about Sean.”

Morgan nodded. When they arrived at the coffee shop, Reid was the first one out of the car. He walked across the pavement and into the shop, and Morgan caught the door as the two of them approached the counter. The barista behind the counter had a head  _ full  _ of red hair. It was wide and puffy and half-way down their back. They smiled and pressed their hands to the counter as they looked Reid and Morgan over.

“Hey! What can I get you?”

“We’re actually here to talk about Cody,” Reid flashed his badge, “Can we talk to you?”

Morgan glanced at their name tag, “It’d be a big help, Ben.”

Ben frowned, then nodded and led the agents to the back. A girl they passed watched them go before she walked up to the register. Reid and Morgan were led to the breakroom, and Reid took a seat as Ben sat down. They pulled their hair up off their neck and wrestled it into a bun.

“I’ve tried not to think about Cody.”

“What can you tell us about him?” Morgan asked.

“Cody was one of my best friends. We got this job together. He moved out of his dad’s house when he was 15. Nobody supported him. Thank God we were friends, and my mom is supportive, so he stayed with us. We grew up in Boulder, we couldn’t leave and let this place go. So we stayed, and when we didn’t get into college, we decided to wait,” Ben wiped their eyes, “Cody was such a good guy. He was real, y’know? People loved him.”

“He helped run the shelter, didn’t he?” Reid questioned, “The—”

“The Closet,” Ben interrupted, “Yeah. It’s a safe space, y’know, the closet being slang for people who haven’t come out yet. Cody was well-known there. He devoted a lot of his time to those kids. He didn’t have any enemies, the only people who might hurt him is that super religious group.”

“Religious group?” Morgan pressed.

“Yeah. They call themselves P.W.A.C.”

“Parents With A Cause?” Reid scowled, “They’re still around?”

Ben looked surprised, “Um, yeah. Their office is only two blocks from The Closet. They have rallies to shut down the shelter all the time, but it’s government-funded, so the city can’t close them.”

“This religious group,” Morgan began, “Have they been violent before?”

“They burned down the banner we printed up of some pretty big figures in the community,” Ben sighed, “They’ve never attacked any person directly, but I wouldn’t say they’d never do it.”

“Why do you say that?” Reid asked.

  
  


“The director,” Ben said as if it were obvious, “It’s the police chief.”


	4. Making Friends

P.W.A.C had been around in Reid’s youth. He could remember all the times the directors came to his mother’s church to spread their beliefs. They had not started off as a religious group, but with the installation of Chief Anderson, they quickly became akin to Westboro. Reid did not want to think of them. This case was getting to him. Morgan had called Hotch to let him know about Anderson’s connection. JJ and Prentiss returned from the college with little information. Apparently, Cody and the other victims did not have many friends in the classes, safe for a few study groups, but even then, their conversations hardly consisted of anything more than what was going on in class. 

“All of the victims have been found within a ten-mile radius of one another,” JJ said as Reid and Morgan walked into the room, “The number ten is significant to Christianity, which is a big religion here in Boulder.”

“Like the ten commandments?” Anderson asked, and Reid had to take a breath, “Why do we assume that the killer is religious?”

“He has to have some animosity against gay people. While it’s true that there’s nothing about Christianity that blatantly argues what is right or wrong about homosexuality, the biggest threat to the community here in Boulder is P.W.A,C— a religious group,” Reid explained.

“You think a member of the group did this?” Anderson asked, “I know my people. We might not agree with that lifestyle, but we’d never kill anyone.”

“It’s usually someone you wouldn’t expect,” Rossi added, “Unsubs are people we never suspect, more often than not. The killer could very well not be a part of your organization at all. We just have to explore every possible outcome.”

Anderson seemed to understand, but he didn’t look happy. He left the room without saying anything, and Morgan subtly closed the door behind him. He sat down, and Reid stood beside JJ, who touched his arm for a moment as if to ask if he were alright. She didn’t know about Sean, she just knew that this case had to be hard for him. After all, they were about only 30 minutes from Vegas. Cases in Nevada were always hard for Reid, but this one hit close. This one hurt.

“Should Anderson be a suspect?” Prentiss wondered aloud.

“Yes,” Hotch nodded, “He’s one of many. Reid, how many members of the P.W.A.C are there?”

“One hundred and twenty-nine,” Reid looked up, “Not counting Anderson.”

Morgan sighed, “I’ll have Garcia start shifting through names.”

While Morgan called Garcia, Hotch asked Prentiss and JJ to talk to the newest victim’s parents, who had arrived not too long ago. With them gone, Hotch turned to Reid, despite Rossi being in the room.

“Are you alright?”

“It’s sick,” Reid looked at the map, “These people are dying for no good reason. Why is it anyone’s business who they love? Why is it anyone’s business how they identify?”

Rossi and Hotch watched Reid pick up a picture of Marvin O’Connor. He was a trans-man found dead like all the rest. The assailant had even gone as far as to write his deadname all over his body. This was cruel. This was hatred. Reid wanted to cry.

“It isn’t right.”

“Nothing about murder is ever right, Reid,” Rossi said softly, “It’s why we need to catch this sicko before they get to someone else.”

Reid sighed, then turned and walked to the interrogation room. He stood at the two-way mirror and turned on the mic. Marvin’s mother was clutching a tissue and crying, while his father sat stone-faced, a little distance away. Reid squinted. There was a pain in the man’s eyes, but nothing compared to how the mother looked. Reid watched JJ gently touch the mother’s hand.

“We want to bring your son’s killer to justice. Can you tell us about him?”

“He was such a sweet boy,” Mrs. O’Connor sobbed, “He just wanted to help people. H-He left home because we didn’t accept him at first, but God, if I had known someone was out there, I would've told him to come back home. I was so blind with hatred, I never even got to see my baby since we put him out.”

“How old was he?” Prentiss asked, “When you told him to leave?”

“Eighteen,” The father said.

“Fourteen,” Mrs. O’Connor corrected, “Then we found out he was living at that homeless shelter. And we never even asked him to come home.”

“Abby made her decision,” Mr. O’Connor’s voice was tight, “She got herself killed.”

“It’s not like he went out there with a sign!” Mrs. O’Connor screamed, “It’s not like he broadcasted himself for the whole world! You wouldn’t have known! If you didn’t ask, nobody would know!”

JJ squeezed Mrs. O’Connor’s hand, “So you two didn’t see eye-to-eye? What about Marvin can you tell us? Do you know if he had any friends at the shelter?”

“That Cody boy,” Mrs. O’Connor sniffed, “He was good friends with that Cody boy, the one who died. H-He called me, the night Cody died. Said he was scared. Asked me to come home. And I said no. His father wasn’t ready.”

“You weren’t?” Prentiss asked, “What made you so distant from your son?”

“My daughter will always be just that. My daughter. ‘Abby’ is one her birth certificate and it’ll be on her tombstone.”

Mrs. O’Connor stood and left the room, stopping to look at Reid for a moment, before she shook her head and went on. Mr. O’Connor continued.

“Jules thinks we should honor Abby’s wishes, but Abby was lost. She didn’t know any better. She grew up, free to whatever she wanted. We weren’t strict enough. Had she actually been a boy, I would've beat her myself.”

“And you see nothing wrong with that?” JJ sounded sick, “Nothing wrong with wanting your son dead? Do you realize this makes you a suspect?”

Mr. O’Connor sat back, “I’d like to speak to my lawyer.”

Reid was fuming. His fists were clenched and his heart was in his throat. If looks could kill, Mr. O’Connor’s funeral would have been over and done with. Reid stared, even as JJ and Prentiss came from the room. JJ touched his arm, and he exited the small room in a frenzy, nearly bumping into Chief Anderson, who caught him by the arms.

“Woah, there,” Anderson frowned, “Who pissed you off?”

Reid ripped away. He couldn’t deal with anyone right now. As he did, Anderson grabbed his wrist.

“I asked you a question.”

Reid squinted, “This case makes you happy, doesn’t it?”

“The fuck you say?” Anderson got in his face, and Reid did not back down.

“You heard me. It makes you happy, seeing these kids die. And it makes you happy because you and your group believe that these kids  _ should  _ die.”

When Anderson shoved Reid, Prentiss and JJ were there in seconds, and Hotch and the others had come to see what the commotion was about. 

“What’s going on?” Hotch asked.

“Get your agent.” Anderson pointed, “Before I kick his ass.”

Hotch frowned. He led the team to the room they had set up in, and once the door was closed, Hotch turned to the younger agent.

“Do you need to go home?”

“You know it’s true!” Reid yelled, “You  _ know  _ he wants these kids dead! And for what?”

“Reid,” JJ spoke gently, “We know, but we can’t go too far with our investigation if these people are mad at us. We have to think rationally about this.”

Reid looked away. Morgan put a hand on his shoulder and tried to meet his eyes.

“Kid. I think you should apologize to Anderson.”

“ _ What _ ?”

“You should apologize,” Rossi butted in, “Even if you don’t mean it. Tell him you’re frustrated. Tell him you didn’t mean it.”

Reid did. There was a smugness in Anderson’s expression when he did so. Reid wanted nothing more than to rip Anderson’s head off. With Reid’s apology, they were able to organize a meeting with P.W.A.C. The team knew what they were looking for. A righteously devoted member, who was male, tall, and strong enough to carry dead weight. Reid had begged Hotch to let him go, and after some convincing, he was permitted.

The inside auditorium of P.W.A.C looked like a large sanctuary. There was a tall statue of Jesus at the head of the room, and the room was full of people. The team made their way to the front, while JJ, Reid and Prentiss handed out photos and information about each victim. Reid watched their expressions. Some people exchanged looks.

“You may recognize some of these faces. Cody Matthews. Marvin O’Connor, Harry Smith, Alex Campbell, Martin Washington— all of these men were the sons of some attendants here,” Hotch spoke into the mic, “All of these men were killed because of their attachments to the LGBTQ+ community. We know for certain that whoever committed these murders is a very religious man, a man who is known for his violent speech about gay people.”

“Don’t we all talk sometimes?” A man in the front argued, “What makes you think the guy is here?”

“He never said that,” Rossi said, “Agent Hotchner is simply saying the man lives in Boulder and is known for violence. It could be anyone, not someone here. We just need your help as a community.”

“It could be someone you know,” Morgan added, “Someone you’ve known for years, or not very long at all.”

“Maybe it’s good that they’re dead,” A woman spoke up, “Those men were infecting the minds of my kids! And one of them wasn’t even a man!”

Reid’s jaw tightened. He approached the stage, and Rossi handed him the mic. His voice was calm and clear, despite his clenched fist, hidden behind his back.

“We need you to look past what you agree and disagree with. At the end of the day, murder is unjust and illegal. And anyone withholding any information will be held accountable. Right now, we need to set aside the fact that you disagree with someone’s sexuality. Imagine, for a moment, if this were your child,” Reid looked around the room, “You would want to do everything you can to bring their killer to justice. Separate yourself from your beliefs for one moment. This town is unsafe for your children, not because of The Closet, but because there is a killer on the loose.”

Hotch nodded, “Doctor Reid is right. So if you have any information you think would help us, there is a hotline located at the bottom of the information page, and you all know where the station is.”

A woman stood. She sniffed, and held a photo to her chest, “Harry was my boy. My son. I didn’t like his choices, but I regret never telling him I loved him. As some of you may remember, my girl Sarah was killed in 2000 by a drunk driver. And we found him right away. Please find the man who killed my Harry, my poor boy.”

Reid closed his eyes for a moment. He watched the unchanging expressions of the crowd.


	5. Mile A Minute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW// Homophobia, Transphobia, Child Abuse mentions

Cody Matthews’ older brother was a fry cook in Las Vegas. Reid and Morgan went to go see him. Connor was a good man, he supported his brother and loved him, but he didn’t have the means to care for him. He seemed genuine, Reid noticed, and when he cried, Reid believed it. Maybe it was because he reminded him of Sean. Maybe it was his blond hair. Right now they were watching him cry. He slid off his hat and pressed the back of his palms to his eyes. When Reid and Morgan left, the older agent leaned against the SUV as Reid paced back and forth, from the head to the foot of the car.

“You’re upset.”

“So?” Reid snapped, angry for a moment before he looked away and kept pacing.

“You want a hug? I remember you saying something about how it helps. The, uh, tightness.”

Reid paused, then he approached Morgan slowly. Morgan hugged him, arms wrapping around his chest. Reid frowned, pulled away, freed his arms, then turned around and leaned his back against Morgan’s chest. He was surprised, but he hugged Reid again, clinging to him, and Reid tapped his hand against Morgan’s arm, and the grip got tighter. Reid was relaxed in his arms, and Morgan rested his head on his friend’s shoulder.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Marvin’s father,” Reid whispered, “Said that he would have killed him, had he been biologically male.”

“Oh.”

“I think he abused him.”

“Oh.”

Reid closed his eyes, “I had a boyfriend when I was 16. I was home. Sitting with him in the backyard. Waiting for the sunset.”

“What happened?”

“My father had come back. The shed in the backyard was his. Mom told him I was at school, so he came to get his shit from the shed.”

“After four years?”

Reid tapped Morgan’s wrist again, and Morgan tightened his hug, “He’d come around when I wasn’t there. He didn’t leave because of her. He left because of me.”

“What did he do?”

“My boyfriend ran. William had been looking for the tire iron. H-He found a different use for it.”

Morgan scowled, “He beat you with it?”

“I don’t like to talk about my father’s abuse. It’s too hard sometimes,” Reid sighed, “I don’t want anyone looking at me like they pity me.”

“I’d like to kick his ass.”

Reid laughed, “I know. It’s why I didn’t want to tell you. Because I knew you’d want him dead. W-We should probably talk to him anyway.”

“How come?”

“P.W.A.C,” Reid whispered, “He was one of the 50 members who didn’t show.”

“Reid. You should have told Hotch.”

“I didn’t want to. He’d worry. He’d take me off the case.”

“He'll be mad you lied.”

“I didn’t  _ lie.  _ I just didn’t tell him.”

“If your father beat you for being gay he’s a suspect, Reid.”

“No, he isn’t. He hasn’t left Vegas in years.”

When Reid pulled away, Morgan let go. He and Reid made it back to the station after stopping for food. It was late, but not too late, and the team was ready to go to the hotel and get some sleep. Another body showed up. A gay man named Liam Carter showed up dead, across the street from the same church Marvin was found. Liam was Cody’s boyfriend. The M.O had changed slightly. This time there was a sign of sexual assault, proving that the unsub was either gay or repressing his feelings. It wasn’t right. It was sick. Reid hated this. The whole team was angry. Liam’s mother was a member of the religious group. Hotch sent Reid and JJ to go talk to her. It was odd because Reid felt like Hotch was avoiding talking to him. 

“Are you alright?” JJ asked as they got out of the car.

“Sean left,” Reid sighed, looking at her, “And the case, it’s hard for me.”

She squeezed his hand, and he gave her a small smile before they approached the home. Reid was the one to knock, and Miss Carter opened the door and stepped aside to let them in. She dabbed at her wet eyes and gestured to the couch, where JJ and Reid sat, while Miss Carter sat in the armchair. Blue. Reid cringed. 

“Do y’all want some tea?” She asked, and pointed to the pitcher, “There’s lemon in it.”

“I think we’d like to talk about Liam first,” Reid said softly, “He was a teacher, right?”

“Yeah. In Colorado. He was coming down to see me,” Miss Carter wiped her eyes, “And his um, his friend.”

“His boyfriend,” JJ said.

She seemed to tense, and Reid took note of it.

“Oh, yes. His boyfriend,” Miss Carter sighed, “I don’t agree with his choices. But he was my son. And I know what you people think about our group, but we would never kill anyone.”

“When did you kick Liam out?” JJ asked.

“He was fifteen. Here with some boy. I chased them both out. Told him never to come back.”

“And he—” Reid stopped, and looked towards the back door when he heard a shout, “What’s that?”

“Robin. My nephew. He’s lived here since his dad died.”

Reid stood, “How old is he?”

“Twenty-four,” Miss Carter answered.

“I’m going to talk to him,” Reid said, and JJ nodded, already ready to speed-dial Hotch, if need be. “Does he know about Liam being gay?”

“Yes. And just like me, he hates it. He hated Liam. But I didn’t. I loved Liam.” Miss Carter defended.

Reid nodded. He walked out the backdoor, and there came another shout. It was clear that someone was yelling about something. Reid drew closer to the back fence, and he saw a large man slamming his fists into a tree. He stood there for a moment, and Reid cleared his throat. Robin turned to look at him, and he paused for a second before he rolled his eyes and turned away.

“You a cop?”

“An agent,” Reid corrected, “You hit that tree a lot?”

“And if I did?”

“I wouldn’t care if your hands weren’t bleeding,” Reid walked closer, “Can I see?”

Robin sighed and showed Reid, “I’m trying to build up a tolerance.”

Reid touched his hand, ignoring the blood that stained his finger as he turned his hand over. Robin let him before he pulled away and walked over to a small box. He reached inside and wrapped one of his hands before handing Reid bandages for the other.

“Do you let them heal on their own?” Reid wondered.

“Usually.”

“That can’t be healthy,” Reid whispered.

“So? Why do you care?”

Reid crossed his arms, “Do you care that Liam died.”

“No.”

“No?” Reid repeated.

“No. He was a f-g.”

“That’s a big thing to admit to. Are you homophobic?”

“Is that a crime?”

“It’s a crime to kill people,” Reid said, and Robin approached him, grabbed his collar with bloodied hands.

“I didn’t kill my cousin.”

“I never said you did,” Reid tried not to stammer, “I can have you arrested for grabbing me like this. If you didn’t kill him, alright then. It bothers you that he’s gay, you’re homophobic, but you’re not apart of P.W.A.C.”

“I haven’t got any kids.”

“That’s not a requirement.” 

Robin let Reid go, “I’m not religious like them.”

“Are you homophobic because your father abused you? Do you think that’s what made you gay?” Reid asked, and Robin looked at him, “There’s never a reason people are gay, Robin. There are thousands of studies that show people are born gay.”

“I’m not gay. And I didn’t kill anyone.”

“Why did you r*pe Liam?” Reid pushed, “Were you angry? Did you think that it wasn’t fair that he never had a father to do to him what yours did to you? Or maybe you had an attraction to him growing up, and seeing him again made you angry. Like your sickness was his fault.”

Reid was expecting the hit. It exploded against the side of his face like a fire he had not felt in a long time. He stumbled and fell to the ground, and he looked towards the home. Robin climbed on top of him and wrapped his hands around his throat.

“You’ve got no idea what you’re talking about!” Robin screamed, and Reid clawed at his bandaged hands, wiggled his legs underneath him.

At some point, Reid’s struggles grew weaker, and he was struggling to breathe. He tried to scream, but no sound came through, and slowly, oh so slowly, the world faded around him.


End file.
